3 Reasons To Report Work Accidents Immediately
Getting hurt at work can be a horrible thing, and you might not really know what to do if there is an accident. Some people hold off on letting their employers know about it, but it's almost always best to go ahead and report work accidents as soon as possible. These are the main reasons why.
1. Encourage Necessary Changes
First of all, in many cases, after an accident happens in the workplace, it's a good idea for the employer to look for positive changes that can be made that can help prevent future accidents from occurring. For example, employees may need to go through a training course, or new safety equipment might need to be purchased. If your employer does not know that people are getting hurt at work, then you can't expect for these changes to take place. By reporting your accident, you can help protect others from being injured in the same or a similar manner.
2. Avoid Jeopardizing Your Workers' Compensation Claim
Some people don't realize it, but it's possible for your employer's insurance company to deny your worker's compensation claim. Insurance companies deny these claims for various reasons. If you wait too long to report your work accident, this could be a reason for the insurance company to try to deny your claim. By going through the proper steps as soon as possible, including reporting the incident to your employer, going in for medical attention and hiring a personal injury lawyer, you can help ensure that your claim does not get denied and that your medical costs, lost wages and more are covered as they are supposed to be.
3. Avoid Getting in Trouble with Your Employer
Some companies have policies in place that require their employees to report accidents as soon as they happen. If your workplace has this type of policy in place and if you violate it by not reporting the accident as soon as it happens, then you could face some type of disciplinary action from your employer. If you contact your human resources department, you should be told how to go about reporting the accident to help prevent this from happening.
If you are involved in a work-related accident, it is important to report the accident to your employer as soon as possible. Even though some people get nervous about doing so, it's usually the best idea to go ahead and do so for these reasons and more. Visit a site like http://leifericksonlawoffice.com for more help.